Ranking Spawners is less straightforward than the math for Heroes, Bosses, and Minibosses, because there's a lot of variables. Is it a single or a double? How strong are the 8-Bit models, and how many are there? Are the 16-Bit models worth damaging the spawner for? What Affinity does it have, and does it give a buff or a debuff? Is there a large number of ARM 0 models which give Heroes plenty of chances to power up? How many of them have more than 1 AP? Do any Actions support well with other Spawner models, and if so does the Spawner NEED that other set of models in order to function well?

On top of all that, I haven't used all of these Spawn Points, and especially haven't seen many of their interactions (I only just got my Fungal Growths so I don't know how effective the Old Growth Hollow's Sprout is at buffing an entire horde, for example) so the Ranks I assign may well be especially arbitrary.

MOBMob affects a lot of Monsters and even some Bosses/Minibosses, and throws a monkeywrench into the math. Each +1B adds 4/6 of a Star to an average roll, with the full +3B giving the average equivalent of a Green Star to each roll. Though this should go without saying, pick Rattlebones and Giri as the Creeps if you're using Mob monsters.

So with that said, the spawner description is going to be organized in the following manner.

NAME: The name of the Spawner, followed by a brief description

MODELS: The number and type of Models that each Spawner comes with.

AFFINITY: The Affinity, along with its Buff or Debuff effect within two squares.

Buffs affect friendly models with the SAME Affinity, whereas Debuffs MISS enemy models with the SAME Affinity.

LOOT DENIAL: The amount of Loot that Heroes can derive from this. Low-denial spawners have lots of 1-Wound, ARM 0W models that the Heroes can massacre en masse for quick Loot draws; medium-denial spawners have some of those, but also have some multi-Wound or high ARM models which can prevent Heroes from getting easy Loot, with high-denial spawners either focusing on multi-Wound high ARM models, or giving Loot denial in other fashion (such as Insignificant).

8-BIT MODELS: The brief list of 8-Bit Models, with Minions first, followed by Elites.Name (Elite/Minion) AFFINITY OFFENSE (with anything that affects the model's Offense)DEFENSE (with anything that affects the model's Defense)SKULLS/APA brief description of the model's Abilities, Skills, and anything it works well with.

16-BIT MODELS: As above, but 16-Bit of course.Name (Elite/Minion) AFFINITY OFFENSE (with anything that affects the model's Offense)DEFENSE (with anything that affects the model's Defense)SKULLS/APA brief description of the model's Abilities, Skills, and anything it works well with.

SYNERGY: A list of any specific Spawn Points, Minibosses, Bosses, or Heroes that have synergy with the spawn point - either negative or positive.

WHAT IS NOT LISTEDUnless otherwise noted, Actions cost AP1 and monsters have Movement 6, Hearts 1, and Range 1 - that's so I don't have to type out the same stuff a ton of times over. Also, if an Action or Attack doesn't list a Range, then it matches the Range of the model's matching Offense.

The ranks are as follow:

RANK SS: This spawner is inherently broken in some way. It may function as a 'banlist' of sorts, because any spawners on here are so strong that they simply crush the Heroes.

RANK S: This spawner is so strong that it's almost always the first a Consul reaches for. The monsters here have a variety of Abilities, inflict reliable Status Effects, or act on the Heroes in some other fashion.

RANK A: This spawner is strong, but doesn't quite reach maximum effectiveness without some support, or has its best monsters locked away behind 16-Bit. These are generally the core of a Consul's army.

RANK B: These spawners are useful as support to other models and may well have strong units of their own, but they can't devastate Hero parties by themselves.

RANK C: These are the... well, weak sisters of the monster world. They may have niche applications or an interesting idea, but overall their model's weaknesses are crippling when placed in front of a solid Hero party.

For my own future reference, and to prevent it from cluttering up the actual list, here's the Template.

RANK SSRANK SGRABBY HOUSEThe Grabby House, unlike the Shallow Grave, is not dependent on other Undead or Von Drakk - though they do benefit from other Mob models on the table (Goro, anyone?). Aside from the Shamble Priest, they also bring something else unique to the table: Grabby, which does not allow a Hero adjacent to the Grabby model any movement until it's destroyed. This works great for area denial, using up Action Points, and generally being a nuisance to mobile Heroes.

Also, everything but the Shamble Priest is an 8-Bit Minion, meaning a big swarm to start with - as befits Zombies. BRAAAAINS....MODELSDoubleSwampie (5)Prowler (2)Pudge (2) Shamble Priest (1) AFFINITY: Sapphire, Buff (Grabby)LOOT DENIAL: 48-BIT MODELSSwampie (Minion)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE STR 2B (1.33) MobDEFENSE ARM 1WSKULLS/AP 1/1Swampies aren't winning any speed awards with Movement 5, and exist mostly to give Mob bonuses.Prowler (Minion)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE STR 3B (2) MobDEFENSE ARM 1SKULLS/AP 1/2Prowlers are great. With 2 AP, it can use its Action to heal a Witch model if it successfully Wounds - TWICE. It's also super-mobile, with Movement 8 and Stealth letting it put Grabby where the Consul needs some. Currently the Witches are: the Curse Coven Witch, Dust Coven Necromancer, and Shamble Priest. Pudge (Minion)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE STR 2B Mob (1.33)DEFENSE ARM 1W Hearts 2 LargeSKULLS/AP 2/1Pudges are Large and not very tough, but their Disgusting (Lance3 +1R STR Poison) hits 6 squares, and when they're killed they get a free attack from Gross (Wave1 +1R STR). Movement 5 makes them quite slow, though. 16-BIT MODELSShamble Priest (Elite) AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE WILL 2R (2.33) Range 6DEFENSE ARM 3B (2) Hearts 3SKULLS/AP 2/3The Shamble Priest is a contender for best Elite in the game. His Pin Cushion (+2B WILL Hookshot Hex Bane AP3) can get through some tough Defense, and his Wakey-Wakey spawns a Zombie adjacent to him in exchange for one Wound - which a Prowler can recover mighty fast. This is one of very few ways to spawn more monsters after the Boss enters and note that Gruesome George is eligible for this spawn as well! But why you'd want to... Brain Food (Wave3 AP3) lets all Zombies in the AOE make a free melee attack, which meshes well with Mob.SYNERGY: Gruesome George, Pumpkin Patch, and Shallow Grave.

PUMPKIN PATCHThe Pumpkin Patch is, quite simply, one of the meanest single spawn points available. A combination of great Status Effects, Transmogrify, Insignificant Minions, and a Large-base Elite makes it an amazing addition to any Consul's arsenal. Multiple models also attack the WILL stat directly, making them great for disabling tanks.

TRIBAL STONEThe Tribal Stone is amazing as support to other spawners, as well as being full of durable, dangerous models on their own. The models have a diverse Special set, the Ability Tough, and are capable of bogging down a group of Heroes who go after it without preparation.

LAVA WHIRLLava Whirl is all about Fire: Giving it and ignoring it. It creates models outside of spawning as well, and the Blaze Beetle is famed for having Backlash. All the Lava Whirl models have Immune: Fire, as you'd expect, and the entire spawner is full of models a canny Consul will have use for.

Old-Growth HollowThis spawner is strong and versatile. It has a great tanky Large monster, the only straight Heal Action available to the Consul, control with Compel on a decent creature, and buffs itself in two ways: through Virulent (+1B STR against any Hero suffering Poison) and the Sprout - more on that later.

Another strength is that it has models of all four Affinities, making them good team players. However, because the King Sprout is a shapeshift, a second Sprout cannot be created while it's alive. Speaking of the Sprout ,it's the only one not Immune: Poison.MODELSDoubleMook (6)Turniphead (2)Wisp (2)Sprout (1)King Sprout (1)AFFINITY: Citrine, Buff (Poison)LOOT DENIAL: 3 [b]8-BIT MODELSMook (Minion)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B (2)DEFENSE ARM 1WSKULLS/AP 1/1The Mooks give Poison for Virulent and HAVE Virulent. Very basic, as you'd expect from mooks.Turniphead (Elite)AFFINITY Citrine/EmeraldOFFENSE DEX 2B1R (2.5) Range 6DEFENSE ARM 0SKULLS/AP 1/1Turnipheads have Heal via It's Medicinal, which can benefit anything from the King Sprout to a Boss. If you have them in a spawning pool, putting them on the table during a Timeout is a good idea. Wisp (Elite)AFFINITY RubyOFFENSE WILL 2B1R (2.5) Range 6DEFENSE ARM 1W Hearts 2SKULLS/AP 2/2Wisps kite Heroes with Pollen Dreams (Range6 WILLvWILL Compel4) and are quite strong. 16-BIT MODELSSprout (Elite)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE STR 1B (.66)DEFENSE ARM 2R (2.33) Hearts 2SKULLS/AP 1/1The Sprout has two jobs: Rampant Growth (Aura3 +1B STR to Kodama/Kinoko), and to die and make a King Sprout. Thankfully, Rampant Growth is annoying enough to make them a high-priority target, but to make it really threatening you need some Kinoko and Trent. King Sprout (Elite)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 2B2R (3.66) Range 4DEFENSE ARM 2R (2.33) Hearts 4 LargeSKULLS/AP 3/3The King Sprout is immobile, but makes up for it with a huge Range, causing Poison, having great defense, and being able to heal itself with Feed Me. Grasping Vines (STR Pull3) brings Heroes close, and Rootdown (Wave4 STRvDEX Slow) keeps them close. It loses to the Crusher in terms of being a big, tough Elite (and costing 3 Skulls instead of 2), but the rest of the Old-Growth Hollow is much better. SYNERGY: Trent, Fungal Growth

RANK BBRAMBLE KNIGHTThe Bramble Knight is focused on one model: the Grobbit. The others are okay, but it's that rabbity executioner that makes this spawner worthwhile - and how worthwhile!

That strength is also its weakness, however, as killing or crippling the Grobbit will become the top priority of the Heroes, and the other models aren't quite good enough to make using them worthwhile instead. MODELSSingleBillmen (4)Frog Knight (2)Grobbit Executioner (1)AFFINITY: Emerald, Debuff (Difficult Terrain)LOOT DENIAL: 48-BIT MODELSBillmen (Minion)AFFINITY EmeraldOFFENSE STR3B (2) Range 2DEFENSE ARM 1WSKULLS/AP 1/1The Billman inflicts Slow, but other than that is entirely unremarkable - and doesn't even have a Citrine Affinity to utilize other spawner's Affinities, unlike most humble 8-Bit Minions.Frog Knight (Elite)AFFINITY EmeraldOFFENSE STR 2B1R (2.5) Reach 1DEFENSE ARM 2W SKULLS/AP 2/2Surefoot and 8 Movement, along with Frogger (STR Pounce) keeps these mobile, but SSSSS (+1R STR Knockdown Feint AP2) is capable of cutting through the heaviest defense. 16-BIT MODELSGrobbit Executioner (Elite)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B1R (3.16) Reach 2 Massive DamageDEFENSE ARM 1B1R (1.83) Hearts 3 LargeSKULLS/AP 3/2The Grobbit has the highest damage potential out of any non-Boss model, capable of dealing 4 Wounds in a single activation. That alone makes it worth using, but it also makes it near-impossible to ignore, and will be targeted by canny Heroes ASAP. The 3 Skull activation cost is awkward, too. SYNERGY: None.

CLAW SHRINEThe Claw Shrine exists to work in a trio with the Egg Clutch, and like Voltron does a brutal job of doing so.

By itself, though? Not really. It can work as long as something else gives Mob to the Black Claw Assassin, and the Claw Trainer still buffs the spawner's own Drakes, but it's designed to work in concert with other Starfire Mountains spawns and shows it. All the models have Movement 7, as is standard with Kobolds.MODELSDoubleDrake Hound (6)Claw Trainer (3)Black Claw Assassin (2)AFFINITY: Citrine, Buff (+1W Offense)LOOT DENIAL: 48-BIT MODELSDrake Hound (Minion)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B (2) Pile-OnDEFENSE DEX 3B (2)SKULLS/AP 1/1They have Knockdown to add to their Pile-On, but Blood Scent (+1R STR) only works against a model which has a Wound token.Claw Trainer (Elite)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B (2) Range 2 Mob DEFENSE DEX 1B1R (1.83)SKULLS/AP 1/1Packmaster (Aura3 Drakes gain Mob) has obvious applications; however Monster Tamer (Range6 Minion makes 1 basic action) is a little more complex and has other possibilities while the Claw Trainer is far away from the action and works to support other spawners as well. 16-BIT MODELSBlack Claw Assassin (Elite)AFFINITY EmeraldOFFENSE STR 2R (2.33) MobDEFENSE DEX 2R (2.33) BackstabberSKULLS/AP 2/2The BCA has one very lethal attack: Assassinate (+1R STR AP2) that, if the BCA has full Mob, also gains Massive Damage. A 3B3R Massive Damage attack? Sounds pretty good to me. Backstabber gives the BCA unique protection, as it can shunt Wounds dealt to it to an adjacent model - that reduces its Mob bonus, but does keep this powerful monster alive.SYNERGYEgg Clutch, King Starfire, Kobold Warrens, Rex

EGG CLUTCHThe Egg Clutch likes Knockdown. Pile-On gives +1B STR to all its models against Knockdown victims and several of its models inflict Knockdown. Its Ability is unique: When another point spawns, the Consul can place models next to the Egg Clutch. Also, all of its models are 8-Bit, even the quite dangerous Wyrmlings. But it doesn't scale well without support from the two Kobold spawners or King Starfire and is underwhelming in its number of models - a mere six total. Who knew that scary King Starfire sprang from such humble beginnings?MODELSSingleHatchlings (2)Whelp (2) Wyrmling (2)AFFINITY: Citrine, UniqueLOOT DENIAL: 58-BIT MODELSHatchling (Minion) AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B (2)DEFENSE 0 Hearts 2SKULLS/AP 1/2Hatchlings are best used after Whelps or Wyrmlings have already knocked down a model. Are also surprisingly good at soaking Hero activations with two Hearts. Whelp (Minion)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR2B1R (2.5)DEFENSE ARM 1WSKULLS/AP 1/1Whelps have Knockdown to benefit their clutchmates. Wyrmling (Elite)AFFINITY EmeraldOFFENSE STR2B1R (2.5)DEFENSE ARM 1 Hearts 2SKULLS/AP 2/2They can spit fire with Flame Burst (Range6 Burst1 STR Fire AP2), or set up more Pile On attacks with Dive Bomb (+1R STR Knockdown AP2), which is frighteningly strong even late-game. Also, Wyrmlings possess Fly.SYNERGY: Claw Shrine, King Starfire, Kobold Warrens

FUNGAL GROWTHThe shrooms are... odd and unique, as you'd expect from fungi. They have a minor control effect in that they move Heroes away from themselves, the Truffle Pig can spawn, and the Okoshroom is big and tough. The Kinokos also inflict Slow on their killers. Helping them is that their only 16-Bit model is the Okoshroom as well, and the Truffle Pigs are nasty early on (as anyone who's seen a real life wild boar would tell you!)

However, in order to really go on the offensive, the Old-Growth Hollow's Sprout STR buff is necessary, making it a somewhat less than stellar spawner by itself. Controlling Hero movement works best with hazard tiles such as Brambles or Lava, but can synergize with the Shallow Graves, of all things. Bone Piles appreciate not being stepped on, and Kinokos are pros at impeding Hero movement.MODELSSingleKinoshroom (4)Truffle Pig (2)Okoshroom (1)AFFINITY: Emerald, Debuff (Slow)LOOT DENIAL: 38-BIT MODELSKinoshroom (Minion)AFFINITY EmeraldOFFENSE STR 3B (3)DEFENSE 0SKULLS/AP 1/1Kinoshrooms can Push 1, either as an Action or Attack depending on Consul needs. Bounce them towards a King Sprout... Truffle Pig (Elite)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 2R (2.33)DEFENSE ARM 1W Wounds 2SKULLS/AP 2/2Truffle Pigs can deal out serious hits with Tusker (+1R STR Knockdown AP2), or make more of the Kinoshroom for AP2 - not the strongest spawning out there, unfortunately. Still a 3R hit is something not many Heroes can laugh at early on. Movement 7 is also quite fast for a damage dealing model.16-BITOkoshroom (Minion)AFFINITY EmeraldOFFENSE STR 3B (2) Range 2DEFENSE ARM 1W2B (2.33) Hearts 4 LargeSKULLS/AP 2/3Okoshrooms are weird. Whirling Shiitake (Wave 1) seems okay, but its STR is too low to do much damage; likewise, while it can give itself Backlash the ARM is not super reliable. Still, it's actually better than the Blaze Beetle's and is just hilarious to use. It also has a lot of AP for its attacks.SYNERGY: Old-Growth Hollow

ROCK PILEThe Rock Pile is... complicated. The basic IDEA is solid; when most Rock Pile monsters are killed they leaves a Shell behind which can be used as ammo by other monsters from the spawner. The execution is clumsy, as each Shell is actually a new Monster with 2 Hearts, and when Thrown can also suffer damage which can eventually kill it - the problem being that is a LOT of extra Wounds to keep track of, slowing down the game. Also, Throw is pretty weak; it deals 1B Offense for each tile between the thrower and target -and even at max, rolling 4B (2 2/3) or 6B (4) is not strong. The best use of Shell is with the Crusher's Earthquake, as that actually adds +1B STR for each Shell.

The only Rock Top that moves 6 is the Roller; the rest are Movement 5, and all of them are Immune: Knockdown and Slow. Sapphire Minibosses also love this spawner, as it can cure pesky Status Effects. But overall, the Rock Pile is a mixed bag and more complicated than it needs to be. MODELSPairedSlowpoke (6)Shell (6)Bombadier (2)Roller (2)Crusher (1)AFFINITY: Sapphire, Buff (Immune: Status Effects)LOOT DENIAL: 38-BIT MODELSSlowpoke (Minion)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE STR 3B (2) DEFENSE ARM 1WSKULLS/AP 1/1Slowpokes exist to die and give their teammates Shells to work with. Bombadier (Elite)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE DEX 3B (2) Range 10DEFENSE ARM 1WSKULLS/AP 1/1Bombadiers have... problems. Their throw attack is Dangerous and Burst 2, meaning it will likely damage more Monsters than Heroes. This can make more Shells to work with and block Hero movement, but it's just... bad. Roller (Elite)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE STR 2R (2.33)DEFENSE ARM 1W Hearts 2SKULLS/AP 2/2Rollers are OK - quite aside from its throw, Thwack (which stinks as it's only Range 4), they have solid stats overall. 16-BIT MODELSCrusher (Minion)AFFINITY SapphireOFFENSE STR 2B1R (2.5) Range 2DEFENSE ARM 1W2B (2.33) Hearts 4 LargeSKULLS/AP 2/3This guy is a rockstar (get it? Get it?), with really tough stats, Immune: Status Effects to add to that, and a truly brutal Turtle Tremor (Wave3 +1B STR for each Shell in the AOE, AP2) for attacking multiple Heroes. Parking him in a hallway with his Large base will block it for a long, long time.

SHALLOW GRAVEThe Shallow Grave is okay on its own, but unless you're using the other Undead spawner (Grabby House) and Von Drakk as a Boss other double spawners are probably a stronger pick. It can deal out a LOT of Bane (two models have Ruby Affinity to go with the spawner's buff in addition to the Dread Knight), and all but one model comes with the Bone Pile Ability: It leaves a remnant that can be turned into ANY Bone Pile model in the spawn pool.

Everything but the Necromancer is 8-Bit, which lets it start with a LOT of models on the table.MODELSDoubleBone Head (6)Dust Mage (2)Dread Knight (2)Dust Coven Necromancer (1)AFFINITY: Ruby, Buff (Bane)LOOT DENIAL: 38-BIT MODELSBone Head (Minion)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B (2)DEFENSE ARM 1WSKULLS/AP 1/1The job of Bone Heads is to leave behind Bone Piles, plain and simple. Dread Knight (Elite)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 2B1R (2.5)DEFENSE ARM 1W Hearts 2SKULLS/AP 2/2These Elites are great. Cursed Blade (+1B STR Hex Bane AP2) inflicts the two best Statuses in the game, and they are also sturdy. If they're in the spawn pool, they should always be the first models reached for when reviving Bone Piles.Dust Mage (Elite)AFFINITY RubyOFFENSE WILL 3B (2) Range 6DEFENSE ARM 0SKULLS/AP 1/2They can use their own spawner's Bane Aura, wich makes Bone Cold (+1R WILL 2 Cold AP2) doubly crippling, but they also back up the Necromancer with Mend Bones (Range6 Raise). 16-BIT MODELSDust Coven Necromancer (Elite)AFFINITY RubyOFFENSE WILL 2R (2.33) Range 6DEFENSE ARM 0 Hearts 3SKULLS/AP 2/3These guys buff Undead (ANY Undead, look at Von Drakk's card) with Ghastly Vigor (Aura3 +1 STR to Undead), can do controlling with Renewed Vigor (Wave2 Compel2), and also revive an entire group of Bone Piles with Tide of Bones (Wave3 Raise); definitely worth Wounding the spawner to bring out ASAP. SYNERGY: Death Spectre, Grabby House, Von Drakk.

RANK CSalt PillarThe Salt Pillar is just... bad. It has a limited pool and both its monsters don't scale up well - frankly, I felt for a while as though the Salt Pillar was just an excuse that let SPM extend out the models offered without using any new molds (as all three molds come from the Lava Whirl). I guess it does balance out the awesomeness of the other Mistmourn Coast Warband, though.

It's certainly better in Versus Mode, where it has softer models to target, but against Heroes it's woefully ineffective.MODELSSingleSorrow (6)Mist Hound (2)AFFINITY: Ruby, Buff (Stealth)LOOT DENIAL: 18-BIT MODELSSorrow (Minion)AFFINITY RubyOFFENSE WILL 2B1R (2.5) Range 6DEFENSE ARM 0SKULLS/AP 1/1The full reason of the Sorrow is for Weep: if the Sorrow inflicts a Wound it spawns another Sorrow adjacent to that model. They also have Fly and aren't super-weak, but struggle to inflict reliable Wounds - and those extra Sorrows are often just more Loot to the Heroes. 16-BIT MODELSMist Hound (Elite)AFFINITY RubyOFFENSE STR 2B1R (2.5)DEFENSE DEX 3B Hearts 2SKULLS/AP 2/2Mist Hound is... interesting. It functions as area denial, with a Wave2 Pull1 Action and the Predator Ability: When a model moves away from a square adjacent to him, he gets a free attack. With Movement 8, Sidestep, and Surefoot, he'll get to where you need him and block that off til he's dead, which may not be easy.SYNERGY: Death Spectre

It's the one Warband I couldn't afford, and while I found the monster cards online, I don't know what the actual Claw Shrine effects are, so I can't really finish its section, and I have no idea what Backstabber does on the Black Claw Assassin. Still, here's what I have.

Also, I'm all done with all the rest of the spawners, and would love to hear what other people's thoughts are.

CLAW SHRINEThe Claw Shrine exists to work in a trio with the Egg Clutch, and like Voltron does a brutal job of doing so.

By itself, though? Not really. It can work as long as something else gives Mob to the Black Claw Assassin, and the Claw Trainer still buffs the spawner's own Drakes, but it's designed to work in concert with other Starfire Mountains spawns and shows it. All the models have Movement 7, as is standard with Kobolds.MODELSDoubleDrake Hound (6)Claw Trainer (3)Black Claw Assassin (2)AFFINITY: Citrine, Buff (+1W Offense)8-BIT MODELSDrake Hound (Minion)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B Pile-OnDEFENSE DEX 3BSKULLS/AP 1/1They have Knockdown to add to their Pile-On, but Blood Scent (+1R STR) only works against a model which has a Wound token.Claw Trainer (Elite)AFFINITY CitrineOFFENSE STR 3B Range 2 Mob DEFENSE DEX 1B1RSKULLS/AP 1/1Packmaster (Aura3 Drakes gain Mob) has obvious applications; however Monster Tamer (Range6 Minion makes 1 basic action) is a little more complex and has other possibilities while the Claw Trainer is far away from the action and works to support other spawners as well. 16-BIT MODELSBlack Claw Assassin (Elite)AFFINITY EmeraldOFFENSE STR 2R MobDEFENSE DEX 2R BackstabberSKULLS/AP 2/2The BCA has one very lethal attack: Assassinate (+1R STR AP2) that, if the BCA has full Mob, also gains Massive Damage. A 3B3R Massive Damage attack? Sounds pretty good to me. Backstabber gives the BCA unique protection, as it can shunt Wounds dealt to it to an adjacent model - that reduces its Mob bonus, but does keep this powerful monster alive.

Egg clutch worthless? in NO way is it terrible at all! 6 total minis is a bonus not penalty. 4 of 6 models have two hearts which means it takes 10 hits to give 6 loot. Plus with no 16bit monsters all of them are present at the start and ready to one turn kill an unlucky hero. The egg clutch ability to spawn other monsters at it is pretty awesome too in addition to loot deny shenanigans, how awesome would it be to spawn an entire spawn point of mobing minis on the same tiles as the heroes.

On a side note you cannot have a sprout and a king sprout fielded at the same time they are the same creature.

I've used the Egg Clutch a lot, and it's one I'm not sure about whether it belongs in B (Can be okay, but needs a little help) or C (is just bad without a LOT of help). I'm not sure whether my own bias and habit of using them was slanting them towards B, so I went against my gut and put them lower.

As far as no King Sprout - Sprout on the table at the same time, I don't see why not. The Sprout goes into the spawning pool, the King Sprout can't shapeshift back (and is basically a new novel). Has it been addressed in an FAQ? This is relevant to my interests. *goes searching*

EDIT: Indeed they are, according to the April 15 2015 errata. *fixes entry*

In my opinion you can't easily evaluate the spawnpoints in any edition of SDE in splendid isolation. You need to evaluate how good they can be when used in conjunction with other units. Hence I'd recommend you consider at the very least:

as these setups may cause you to reevalute the power of the Fireflows, Fungals and Dragon Clutch. In the right combo all three of these spawns can be very nice indeed.

EDIT regarding the Claw Shrine Backstabber lets the Assassin pass any wounds suffered onto friendly adjacent models and the Aura provides a flat +1W to attack rolls. And I'd disagree about it being best in a fivesome: I'd say you should think of Claw Shrine + Drakes as a triple spawn.

In my opinion you can't easily evaluate the spawnpoints in any edition of SDE in splendid isolation. You need to evaluate how good they can be when used in conjunction with other units. Hence I'd recommend you consider at the very least:

as these setups may cause you to reevalute the power of the Fireflows, Fungals and Dragon Clutch. In the right combo all three of these spawns can be very nice indeed.

Yes, but this list was more about how strong they are without support. Any Consul can come up with a good game plan to use the 'worst' spawners together and overcome the Heroes, just as a five-Hero group could pick Trent as a wall and hope to draw into enough +STR Loot to overcome his absolute pants Offense.

The Pumpkin Patch is always good, because turning a Hearthsworn Fighter into a Miserable Toad can be devastating to a party relying on him for tanking.

The Shallow Grave is fine, but really doesn't shine unless Von Drakk is your Boss (for the automatic Raise when he spawns, and the ability to Wave 3 Raise).

The Kobold Warrens functions just fine on its own, as it has a large number of Mob models, several group buffs, and has a high Movement, but with other Mob models and more Kobolds, it turns from good to brutal.

The Grabby House has a unique Status Effect in Grabby, models which are both tough and strong after Mob triggers (and as several Creeps come with Mob it makes the spawner even stronger), and an Elite that can both heal (via Homunculus) AND spawn, or Hex/Bane a Hero.

The Salt Pillar is gimmicky and while 2B1R is strong for an 8-Bit Minion it's also very soft and slow - and very easy to either ignore or kill first. In Versus I'd reach for it, but Classic?

The Fireflow Denizens I do like, but without someone to Bane Heroes so Fire Gels are a threat, or to Hex Heroes so the Blaze Beetle can actually Backlash something, it's just not quite at the same strength level as other single spawners - and it inflicts neither of those Status Effects itself.

The Fungal Growth... I want to like it, I really do, but without testing it looks weak with sub-par STR models, a gimmicky ability in Spongy, the arguably worst Status Effect in Slow (which one is best is up for debate, and Slow is more of a close second than actually BAD mind you), and a spawn ability that creates more weak monsters (unlike the Bone Pile ability or Wakey-Wakey, which draws from the whole spawn pool) and uses all the one decent attacker's AP. Now that I know you can't have a Sprout and a King Sprout on the table at the same time, it feels even weaker. 4B STR may not be STRONG, but it's still odds enough to beat basic Hero armor.

Frankly, I wanted to put the Bramble Knight at B, because the Grobbit despite all his promise has been consistently disappointing in my games.

Using logical thinking, the slow effect should prevent someone to dodge, so slow effect can be more usefull if it able to block DEX rolls for defense purposes in addition to the effect that it already does of cut to half the movement points, making a mushroom (and billman) nightmare to DEX tankers. An idea for house rules, maybe...

Lava Whirl is a lot like Egg Clutch and Pumpkin Patch in its loot denial: 5 monsters to start, 3 of which on death turn into 2 insignificant, small monsters each. However, your assumption that they don't hit hard seams false: 3B1R for the Burning Gels (if they use their ability, which they will), 2R on the hounds, and 2B1R on the Beatle is pretty great odds. Only the Flame Gels truly need help hitting the heroes, but they are insignificant...so who cares. It was one of the deadliest spawnpoints before, and it still is. Its just not the insta-win S(S) ranked spawn it used to be. Worth an A or B, as it has the strength to deal with heroes, and advantageously lacks in numbers.

Shallow Grave is also a very strong spawn-point on its own. Sure, it's gimmick won't be as useful without Von Drakk or another undead spawn, but it brings all the tools it needs to the fight. With plenty of ways to inflict Bane, as well as ways to inflict Cold and Hex, it puts itself out there by being capable of inflicting 3 of the best status effects in the game. And while the Boneheads suffer from their 3B STR, the Bane makes up for this in spades. Plus, 4 of its monsters are 8-Bit with 2 action points; neat. And it has arguably one of the best auras in the game, though it sadly also only buffs one of the rarest affinities of monsters. I'd say is a low A at least. Its got great synergy with itself and other units, and is internally strong even before you throw in Von Drakk, Pumpkin Patch, Grabby House...or any other synergistic goodness.

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In my opinion you can't easily evaluate the spawnpoints in any edition of SDE in splendid isolation. You need to evaluate how good they can be when used in conjunction with other units. Hence I'd recommend you consider at the very least:

as these setups may cause you to reevalute the power of the Fireflows, Fungals and Dragon Clutch. In the right combo all three of these spawns can be very nice indeed.

Yes, but this list was more about how strong they are without support. Any Consul can come up with a good game plan to use the 'worst' spawners together and overcome the Heroes, just as a five-Hero group could pick Trent as a wall and hope to draw into enough +STR Loot to overcome his absolute pants Offense.

There's a massive problem in judging the spawners individually, as plenty of them are built with the idea in mind of working together. Salt Pillar Fungal Growth, and Egg Clutch are all basically support spawns with this idea explicitly in mind. Their abilities are generally focused on buffing other spawns, mostly in an indirect fashion.

Salt Pillar grants Stealth to a multitude of Ruby affinity monsters, most of which are ranged and all of which benefit from it greatly. Additionally, it provides great ablative wounds for Death Spectre to Lifesap, that can all just come back with Weep. And the Mist Hounds can be used to blockade doorways and bog down heroes through Predator, or drag Heroes along into AoEs or dangerous tile effects with Lost. It doesn't necessarily seam like the brother to Tribal Stone like the warband Box woul suggest, but it works well with Salt, as well as any Ruby affinity monster...especially Death Spectre.

Conversely Fungal Growth provides the same tools as the Mist Hound: Kinoshrooms bump heroes around, getting them into AoEs or dangerous tile effects, or placing them in keen locations for various mob monsters (which the Mist Hound can do too, just not as easily, as Lost is a Pull, not a Push.) And the Okoshroom acts as a massive roadblock. They also slow the heroes down, literally through the Slow effect, and by just bumping them around so often. And the Truffle Pig can use his spawning ability to make sure these tools stay available throughout the game, even when the spawner is destroyed, or too far away for a direct spawn to be useful. I mean, it seams like it was built specifically with the idea in mind of support the Old Growth Hollow, as it works so well with it (bumping heroes into brambles, or into Sprout's AoE/range, and being buffed by Sprout...)

And Egg Clutch supports through its Aura, allowing other monsters to spawn there. As such, heroes who thought they were only facing some weak baby dragons might soon be surprised to be facing King Sprout or a Crusher. Or you could spawn in a Dragon Priest to buff the drakes. And you don't just need to spawn 16-Bit stuff through it; if available, there are plenty of 8-bit monsters that would love to come through the Egg Clutch and end up right in the heroes' faces. And it's even more dangerous when paired with the Claw Shrine.

Nephastus wrote:

Using logical thinking, the slow effect should prevent someone to dodge, so slow effect can be more usefull if it able to block DEX rolls for defense purposes in addition to the effect that it already does of cut to half the movement points, making a mushroom (and billman) nightmare to DEX tankers. An idea for house rules, maybe...

If only the rules worked that way...remember when Knockdown prevented dodge? Those were the days... Does sound like a fantastic house rule, and it would make Fungal Growth the bane of Ninja Cola.

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Thanks for the info Doc. I don't know if I'll get to evaluating the Claw Shrine tonight, but I'll try to finish it up soon. What Affinity is the Claw Shrine? Citrine/Yellow? I should think so.

I personally don't mind upgrading the Lava Whirl to A - it's one of the spawners I reach for when Theresa glares at me and says, "No, not the goddamn Witches again, Aaron." It does have versatility, power, good SEs, and loot denial.

That's probably a category I should put in, Loot Denial: how many multi-Wound models does the spawner have, do they have decent Defense, etcetera.

I should also add a Synergy/Antergy section as well, as so many spawn points rely on the synergy between each other (and Bosses/Minibosses), rather than trying to integrate it into the spawner description. That way it can be separated and more easily evaluated whether a spawner is strong on its own or requires synergy to function.

But that's a project for tomorrow - or maybe Friday, as tomorrow I have children from 7:30 AM to 6 PM.

Like I said in another thread, Rank A is where a unit/model should be if it's good, but gets GREAT with help, and Rank S is reserved for something that don't need no stinkin' help being great, and makes others great too - and is maybe TOO strong. Rank B actually does NEED help even becoming good, or is bad on its own but does help others out a lot, and Rank C is overall just weak. In a world of perfect balance everything would be Rank A, but Rank B isn't BAD, just a bit weaker.

I'd be glad with nothing in Rank C ever, and I've not used the Fungal Growth so I can only judge it on math - and by that it has two models with a high STR (3R is not insignificant), four models with average STR and terrible DEF who inflict Slow on their killers (and bounce them 1 square), and one that works as a wall and... that's it.

But man... the Salt Pillar feels just inferior. If the best use you can think of is "Gives easy heals to Death" than what does it say about it? In Versus Mode I'd be glad to stack it up against other monsters, as its self-spawning while killing their monsters would be great, and the area denial of the Hound is an amazingly unique ability, but against Heroes it's just a source of easy Loot early on and later on provides little challenge. If I'm looking for a good spawner to give Ruby affinity models, I'd reach for the Shallow Grave - Bane is AWESOME and a dual spawner would give more opportunity to buff than a single.

If there's one spawn point I'm tempted to put in Rank SS, it's the Pumpkin Patch. Not only do I always pick it as it has so much utility in bypassing high ARM tanks (a good initial reason for suspecting it as broken because I'm subconsciously a power gamer), but it also reduces the fun factor of the entire game on the Hero side, same as Ninja Cola and the Royal Paladin do for the Consul side. The first time a Hero gets Toaded, it's cute. The second, it's not as cute. The eighth is "Reach over the table and throttle your opponent" rage-inducing.

I also kinda want to bump the Bramble Knight down to B. It's just... one good model, no matter how good it is, isn't a consistent reason to pick. It almost feels like a trap for the Consul, with that seductive call of "I deal 4 Wounds with 3 Skulls, man. Why wouldn't you like me?" but the Grobbit often goes down to a single Hero's activation and it's a worthwhile activation to spend killing him.

The witch spawn point is good but it isn't nearly as good as it used to be automatically frog is way better than will vs will especially with a weak 3b. It really shines as antitanker but aside from loot denial it's not that great.

Loot denial? But frogs can still wear and use loot (is that what you emant?)

It's not (I think). He's talking about how the spawn starts with only 6 monsters, 4 of which are insignificant and don't drop loot.

Also, iamfanboy, the Bramble Knight spawn is great, not worth B. If anything, the inconsistency of the Grobbit is an element of balance rather than a downfall. I mean, it can't be too easy to kill Heroes, or else no one would play as them.

And Salt Pillar isn't just ablative wounds for Death Spectre. The hounds are great roadblocks and can pull people into nice formations fr CC, or into Dangerous tile effects. Or the spawn can be used to harras and slow down the Heroes till you can move better monsters into position.

Also, Claw Shrine is Citrine, if I remember correctly. I don't have it either, but I've seen the cards online.

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Basically, the more models a spawner has with 2+ Hearts, along with any amount of ARM to foil early-game AOEs or other things like Tough or Insignificant, the better it is. If it has over half its models with ARM 0W Hearts 1, then it's terrible for Loot Denial. Mighty Monsters isn't taken into consideration, as it's supposed to scale up with the Heroes anyway. I ranked them from 1-5, with 5 being best.

The Salt Pillar is uniquely bad at Loot Denial (the only 1!), because all the Sorrow's spawnings are more ARM 0W Hearts 1 models, nice and close to the Hero for easy killing. What might help the Death Spectre also helps the Heroes - and frankly, now that I think about it, I'd rather try life tapping some Tribal Stone Trolls that will heal it off next turn rather than killing weak models.

For Synergy, I only listed specific models with synergy and didn't bother if the only synergy is Mob, because if you can't figure that much out by yourself...

Okay, amended each spawner with a section on loot denial and synergy.Basically, the more models a spawner has with 2+ Hearts, along with any amount of ARM to foil early-game AOEs or other things like Tough or Insignificant, the better it is. If it has over half its models with ARM 0W Hearts 1, then it's terrible for Loot Denial. Mighty Monsters isn't taken into consideration, as it's supposed to scale up with the Heroes anyway. I ranked them from 1-5, with 5 being best.

The Salt Pillar is uniquely bad at Loot Denial (the only 1!), because all the Sorrow's spawnings are more ARM 0W Hearts 1 models, nice and close to the Hero for easy killing. What might help the Death Spectre also helps the Heroes - and frankly, now that I think about it, I'd rather try life tapping some Tribal Stone Trolls that will heal it off next turn rather than killing weak models.

Interesting!!

You haven't rated Rock Pile yet .. and sometimes you use "medium" or "medium/high", in other cases numbers.Bramble Knight M/H means .. a 4? And Fungal Growth an "M" .. equals a 3?